Basic information on the German Shepherd dog - Family - Pets

The German Shepherd dog is a great family pet has was first shown in 1892 at the Hanover Exposition. The character of a German Shepherd is well-muscled, confident, alert, fearless and some can have the fighting instinct.

In general German Shepherds are obedient, loyal and has an excellent sense of smell. They are lively eager and highly trainable because of their desire to obey.

The standard colours of Shepherds are black with reddish brown, brown, tan or light grey markings. The average dog size is 60 to 65cm and the average size for the bitch is 55 to 60cm. In all breeds bitches tend to be smaller than dogs. The weight of an average German Shepherd for dogs is 30 to 40 kg's and for bitches 22 to 32 kg.

They are classed as a large breed and therefore they would be fed a larger kibble food such as Arden Grange Large Breed or they could be fed a breed specific food such as Eukanuba German Shepherd food. One of the benefits of using the large breed dog food is the kibble is larger.

As like with all dogs you will need a suitable dog bed, dog collar and of course a good dog lead. These are the basic essentials for any dog, but with the Shepherd being a larger dog then the accessories need to be that bit stronger.

This is also a working dog and many are found to be working as police dogs. This is because they can be trained and are very loyal animals. They are also known as guard dogs.

They are great all round dog that will also make good family pets. There are many breeders club available to join to learn more about the breed or why not join a local dog training club where you can take your new dog to learn good basic obedience.

All dogs benefit from learning new skills so you can do as much training as you can possibly fit in. At your local dog training club you will be able to learn sports such as obedience, flyball and agility. All three disciplines take time and effort from you and your dog but you will see the benefits when your pup starts to grow and turns into a well behaved balanced dog.